US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis has dismissed the criminal case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, bringing a major legal battle in the United States to an end. The court's decision followed the Justice Department's move to abandon fraud and bribery charges against Adani.

Garaufis approved the federal prosecutors' request to dismiss the case but raised serious concerns about how the decision was reached. He questioned whether Adani's earlier commitment to invest $10 billion in the United States had any connection with the decision to drop the prosecution.

Judge Questions Justice Department's Decision

Garaufis said he was satisfied that Adani's $10 billion investment pledge did not influence the Justice Department's decision.

However, he criticised Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter for working with Adani's defence lawyers while deciding whether to dismiss the charges.

According to the judge, prosecutors and investigators who had worked on the case were not given a meaningful role in the decision-making process. Garaufis described these circumstances as concerning and said McCotter appeared to have replaced the views of numerous federal officials with his own judgment.

Why Was Adani Charged?

US prosecutors charged Adani in 2024 over an alleged bribery scheme connected to a solar energy project in India.

Prosecutors alleged that Adani and others agreed to pay bribes to Indian government officials to secure contracts for an Adani Group subsidiary. They also accused the defendants of misleading US investors about the company's anti-corruption practices.

Adani Group has consistently denied wrongdoing. Adani himself did not appear in a US court to respond to the criminal allegations.

Justice Department Explains Case Dismissal

The Justice Department said the case was primarily foreign in nature, difficult to prove and inconsistent with the agency's current priorities.

McCotter said he made the decision after meeting Adani's defence lawyers, consulting other Justice Department lawyers and conducting his own research and analysis.

The dismissal is part of a broader pattern of federal prosecutors seeking to end several high-profile white-collar criminal prosecutions during US President Donald Trump's second term.

$10 Billion US Investment Under Scrutiny

Adani's earlier promise to invest $10 billion in the United States became an important issue during the court's review.

Adani acknowledged that he had made the investment pledge. His lawyers also told Justice Department officials that the Adani Group was willing to follow through on the investment as part of a possible resolution of the case.

McCotter denied that the investment commitment influenced his decision to seek dismissal.

Garaufis ultimately concluded that the pledge did not factor into the Justice Department's decision, but he said questions surrounding offers of this nature were matters for the public to consider.

Adani Welcomes Court Decision

Gautam Adani welcomed the dismissal and said he respected the judicial process.

The ruling provides significant legal relief to Adani and the Adani Group, although the judge made clear that dismissing the case did not mean he was endorsing the Justice Department's reasoning.

Garaufis also indicated that additional information would be required before he decides whether charges against other defendants should be dismissed.

Read more: Adani Power Evaluates Nuclear Technologies, Awaits Government Policy for Private Sector Entry

Separate Civil Proceedings

Criminal charges were not the only legal proceedings involving Adani in the United States.

In a separate civil matter brought by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Gautam Adani agreed to pay $6 million, while his nephew Sagar Adani agreed to pay $12 million.

Separately, Adani Enterprises agreed to pay $275 million to the US Treasury Department to resolve alleged violations involving Iran sanctions.

Judge Raises Rule-of-Law Concerns

Garaufis stressed that his decision to dismiss the criminal case should not be interpreted as a ruling on the merits of the original allegations.

His criticism instead focused on the process used by the Justice Department to abandon the prosecution.

The decision closes a major criminal case that had placed significant attention on one of India's most prominent business groups, while the judge's comments have raised broader questions about prosecutorial discretion and equal treatment under US law.